The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Monday Memo 1185: Follow Your Star

This week I present a New Year's Memo about the Magi from the Memo archives. I will resume writing fresh Memos next week, but
in the meantime, Happy New Year!

 

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WHO WERE THOSE MEN?

 

Who were those wise men known as Magi who came from the east to visit Jesus and bring him gifts? (You can read this brief story by at Matthew 2:1-12.) We aren't really sure. We also don't know what they were looking for as they studied the heavens and what kind of star they saw that caused them to follow it hundreds of miles to find an infant king.

 

There were probably more than three men who came to see Jesus, but we have numbered them as three since they brought three gifts of myrrh, incense, and gold. They rode on camels for days, weeks even, not sure of what they would find when they arrived. Now that's faith! When they did arrive, they checked in with King Herod, convinced that he would know where the royal infant was. It's interesting that the wise men knew more of what was going on spiritually in Herod's kingdom than Herod did.

 

By the time the Magi arrived, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were living in a house, not in a stable. This means the men came well after the night the shepherds visited Jesus in the manger. Since Herod carefully ascertained when the star had first appeared and then had all the male babies two years of age and under killed in Bethlehem, the Magi could have arrived as much as two years after Jesus' birth. That's a long time to watch and follow a star.

 

FOLLOW YOUR OWN STAR

 

You'll need God's help if you're to find and fulfill your purpose. That's not a problem, however, for God is in the business of helping people like you clarify your purpose. When Jesus was born, His star appeared and led those who were interested directly to His home (which ruins the theory that the star was a planet in its natural orbit). The same thing can happen for you today. God can lead and guide you right where you need to be at exactly the time you need to be there. Often when you can't see your purpose, you aren't quite ready to find it—or you're afraid of what you'll find, afraid you won't be able to fulfill it. Yet if you keep searching and following just like the Magi did, your star will appear and suddenly your Purpose Quest will make sense.

 

As we prepare to celebrate a new year, I urge you to follow in the footsteps of the Magi. Wise men and women still seek Jesus and, as they do, they find purpose. I pray that 2025 will be a year of creative purpose and productivity the likes of which you've never seen, imagined, or enjoyed. I also pray that when you find the star and follow it, you'll end up where the Magi did—worshiping the King and giving Him gifts. There's no greater gift than devoting and dedicating the fulfillment of your purpose to Christ and His kingdom. That's what I plan on doing in the year ahead.

 

From all the Stanko household, we wish you a very happy, prosperous, and purposeful New Year!

Monday Memo 1184: God Is With You

During this holiday season, I want to share a few observations about the significance of John 1:14: "The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." In a sense, God endorsed humanity as the crown of His creation when He willingly took on human form so we could behold His essence in a manner we could comprehend. This indicates that God is more comfortable with our humanity than we often are, wishing to change less about us than we are eager to change about ourselves.

The message of Christmas is that God is with us, as Matthew explained in his gospel when he quoted from Isaiah 7: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means 'God with us')" (Matthew 1:23). Let's consider some other implications of what this concept of the Incarnation (which means the Word made flesh) represents for us as we pursue purpose and productivity.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

When God endorsed humanity by gracing it with His presence, He re-emphasized what He had said in the beginning: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). That meant all the activities of His humanity were also good, and that included sleep, work, eating, recreation, procreation, teamwork, communication, purpose, and creativity. When Adam and Eve sinned, those activities remained intact and were still good, but would constantly be fouled by sin.

I liken it to a computer that has a virus. The computer can still function, but its files and operating system are corrupted. Seldom is the computer discarded, but the virus must be found and eliminated. That is similar to the concept of salvation and sanctification (the process of holiness). God didn't discard mankind, but sent a remedy for the sin virus that has affected our operating system and files.

When Jesus was born, He came with the purpose of restoring things as they were meant to be in the Garden. Paul explained it this way: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:19-20, emphasis added). Jesus did not come primarily to get you into a church (although that's important); He came to restore to their original working order your purpose, creativity, and all the other human traits He put into you and all people. This won't be completed in this lifetime, but the process has begun, and as God said in Genesis, "It is very good."

IMPLICATIONS

Often we believe that we need a complete overhaul before God can use us. That is not the case. Yes, you need your computer system upgraded and your files cleansed, but the essence of who you are is still God's idea. Your personality, gifts, thought process, likes, preferences, dislikes, and limitations are consistent with who God made you to be. God created you with your love for organization or your hatred for details. He made You an introvert or extrovert. He gave you your impatience for injustice or patience for the elderly. You were created not to be an end unto yourself, but were made to function best in a team where you can contribute who you are and rely on others for who you are not—with God in the midst of us all.

As I mentioned at the beginning, God is less interested in changing some things in me than I am. He has used my love of sports, my competitiveness, my writing gift, my lack of mercy, my love of travel, and my humor for His purpose and when I express them all, I am glorifying Him. When I try to change the essence of who I am, I am saying, "God, You made a mistake. You should have made me more like this or that." God knows best.

The message of Christmas is that God is truly with us. He isn't intimidated or offended by our mess or our humanity in its less attractive aspects. He's content to dwell with us; in fact He dwells in us, not after we get cleaned up but so He can facilitate the process. As you celebrate the birth of Christ and rejoice in who He is, spend time time rejoicing in who you are as well, for He came not because He tolerates you but because He celebrates you. If God is happy to live with you, shouldn't you be happy to live with yourself? Have a blessed week and Happy New Year.

Monday Memo 1183: Down But Not Out

I enjoy spending time in London, although I haven't been there in a while. One year, I went to see Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Music Hall there. What a wonderful way to enjoy a timeless masterpiece of music and Scripture in the city where it was composed. That visit sparked one of my Christmas favorites from the Monday Memo archives, which I present to you again this year.

 

MESSIAH

 

Messiah is considered by some to be the greatest musical feat in the history of mankind. Commissioned by a charity to produce a benefit concert, Handel wrote the Messiah in only 24 days. A musician once told me that someone trying to copy the Messiah could hardly do so in 24 days—that is the level of inspiration in which Handel operated when he wrote. Handel never left his house for those three weeks. His food trays remained untouched outside his office door. A friend who visited him as he composed found him sobbing with intense emotions. Later, as Handel groped for words to describe what he had experienced, he quoted the Apostle Paul, saying, “Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote it, I know not.”

 

What’s even more impressive is that Handel wrote Messiah under extreme duress. The Church of England strongly criticized and opposed Handel and his previous scriptural works put to music. At the age of 56, he had no money, often going out only at night so as to avoid his creditors. Handel performed what he considered a farewell concert and went home, fully expecting to end up in debtor’s prison. Yet the first performance of Messiah in Ireland in 1742 raised almost 400 British pounds for charity and freed 142 other men from debtor's prison. Of course, the rest is history as countless millions have enjoyed and marveled at his work for more than 250 years. Handel also went on from there to enjoy tremendous success and popularity in his latter years.

 

So what does this have to do with you? Perhaps you are a person of purpose but you feel frustrated, even defeated in your quest for purpose. Maybe you find yourself down and out, discouraged and criticized, forgotten and a failure. Perhaps your finances are in poor shape. If any of those descriptions fit you, read on, for this Memo can restore your hope and faith. If that’s not where you are right now, read on anyway, for that will probably describe you one day as you pursue your purpose.

 

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT

 

As we close out 2024, I advise you to do three things if you're discouraged, disillusioned, or dismayed. And if you’re not, find someone who is—you shouldn’t have to look too long or hard—and encourage them in their dark time.

1. Renew your faith in God. Your success and purpose expression don’t depend on your faithfulness; they depends on God’s. Remind yourself that God can do anything, and then rest in Him. Handel went home to retire and perhaps thought it was all over for him. Yet God helped him when a group found and commissioned him, and God can do the same for you.
2. Keep preparing for your day of success. I don’t think Handel went home to abandon music. Don't you abandon your love for doing something either. Keep writing, reading, learning, and practicing. When the phone rings or the mail comes with your opportunity, you'll be fresh and prepared, having worked in faith for the day of success.
3. Be generous. Handel wrote Messiah for charity, even though he was destitute. What can you do for someone else even though you are down and out? It's a good thing to do the unexpected in hard times, and giving something away definitely fits the bill when you're in need yourself. What better way to express your trust in God?

I’m grateful for God's help as 2024 comes to an end. I hope you can find reasons to be thankful as well. If it's been a tough year for you, thank God for His faithfulness that kept it from being worse. At least you’re still alive and purpose eligible! Then take this Memo to heart or share it with someone who needs it. I pray that as you do what I recommend above, you'll see a purpose breakthrough in 2025. Thank you for allowing me to come into your life every week and thank you for being a fellow purpose pilgrim, searching for and seeking creative purpose. As I close this Memo, I wish you not only a great week, but a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.

Monday Memo 1182: Daylight on the Night Shift

I receive many requests every year asking how to find purpose. Many say they have "no idea" what their purpose is and ask me for help. While I respond as best I can, after all these years I know that I can't help anyone see their purpose. I know the One who can, however, and how He does it is reminiscent of the story of the shepherds at Christmas, something I call daylight on the night shift. Read on to see what I mean.

THE NIGHT SHIFT

The shepherds in the Christmas story were working the night shift, doing what they and their ancestors had
done for centuries. They went to work without any thought that anything extraordinary was about to happen. On the night Jesus was born, they were tending their flocks on the hillsides outside Bethlehem, minding their own business. Suddenly God sent them messengers, who brought great light to their night shift:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."


Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger (Luke 2:8-16).

These shepherds were doing what they knew to do at that time in their life and God interrupted them with a special news report. This both scared and thrilled them. That's how it is when you find your life purpose. Often you're doing what you know to do at the time in a job or role that's less than fulfilling. Suddenly God, the Great Communicator, breaks into your conscious being and brings a message of purpose of what He has always wanted you to do. That not only terrifies you but also gives you a desire to clarify and fulfill it.

That night the shepherds went to work like any other day. God spoke to them, however, and they were never the same. They started by sitting on a hillside in chilly weather; they ended by finding a great treasure in Bethlehem, a treasure that hadn't been revealed to anyone else but them.

YOUR PURPOSE QUEST

Maybe you have been in a desperate search for your purpose and its expression. As we end this year, be encouraged as you remember the shepherds. Finding your purpose doesn't depend on your diligence; it depends on God's grace. Yes, you must search for your purpose, but only God can reveal it to you on a cold, dark night when you are going about your business like countless other nights. At that point, God may send His messenger and change your life forever. I don't know when or how He will do it, I just know He will.

Therefore, have faith and relax this holiday season as you seek your purpose. Keep asking God to help you understand who you are and what you were born to do and, after that, trust Him. You may even want to thank Him for your purpose whether or not you understand what it is. He wants you to fulfill your purpose more than you do and will show you in the fullness of time. He will bring you daylight even if seems lik you are working the night shift where purpose is concerned.

When He does, you will join with the shepherds as laborers who found more than business as usual one night when they went to work. May the God of purpose speak to you soon and may you have the courage to believe what He says! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Monday Memo 1181: Mary

As we enter Advent and the holiday season, I will post some of my favorite Christmas entries from years past in the coming weeks. We'll start a new series in January, but for now, it's time to glean some purpose lessons from the Christmas story and the lives of those who played a part. Let's start this week by looking at the purpose story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, from my series, "Never Too Young for Purpose."

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Mary was a teenager when she gave birth to Jesus, so she certainly is a person of purpose from whom we can learn a lot in our own search for purpose.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Here is the announcement that ushered in the Christmas story:

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her (Luke 1:26-38).

God made a decision that Mary was to be the mother of Jesus, and sent Gabriel to make the announcement. We don't know much about Mary since this is the first mention of her in the Bible, but put yourself in Mary's place. She was a young adult. This was undoubtedly her first encounter with an angel. She was engaged, but the angel informed her that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. With all that background, Mary asked one question and only one: "How can this be?"

THE ANSWER

The angel gave her a simple answer: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." Mary had as much information after the question as before she asked, for she did not have an understanding of the Spirit that we have today. All she understood was that God was going to make it happen. It's fascinating that she did not ask another question, but simply responded, "May your word to me be fulfilled." That represents great faith, which is required for anyone to find and fulfill their life's purpose.

You may think that Mary's purpose was to give birth to Jesus, but it was bigger and more significant than that. To identify her purpose, we go a little further into Luke's gospel to see the words of Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, that define Mary's purpose: "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” It was Mary's role to oversee in faith the promises and mission of her son, Jesus.

Mary was there when the shepherds came to see Jesus, when the Magi came to worship Jesus, when Herod came to kill Jesus, when the elders of Israel listened to and marveled at 12-year-old Jesus, when Jesus began His public ministry, when Jesus hung on a cross, and when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. If Mary's purpose was to give birth to Jesus, her purpose was finished the day He was born. Her purpose was more than that, however. It was a lifelong role of believing God for her Son's protection and ministry completion.

THE APPLICATION

Perhaps God has shown you something about your future, but you want more information. He has showed you that you will own a business, but your family is poor or not business people. You have asked "How can this be?" and received the same answer as Mary did: "God will accomplish it." But that doesn't mean you don't have anything to do even while God is accomplishing it. You now have to learn how to run a business by studying or working in a business for a season.

Maybe God will help you invent something which you will then use to start of your future business. If it's not business, then perhaps it's something to do with music, education, or sports. I hope you get the idea. God will show you something about your future, He promises to help you do it, and then you get to spend your time cooperating and fulfilling what God showed you. That's how God works, no matter how young or old you are.

I urge you this holiday season to reconsider Mary and her role not only in the Christmas story but also in the life of Jesus. Observe her reactions and responses, and apply them to your own life. Your role is not just to give birth to your purpose; your role is to raise it to maturity so it can bear fruit. May God be with you as we end 2024 and help you make progress on your purpose path in the coming year as never before. Have a blessed week.

908: Make Yourself Available

The last two weeks, we have looked at bad examples of what I am calling the "Put Me In, Coach" mentality. People with that mindset is not only ready to be used by God, they are also aggressively seeking ways to be used, making themselves available. Our bad examples the last two weeks were King Saul and Moses, but our two good examples are Nehemiah and the Apostle Paul (who we have already looked at, but we have more insight to garner from his life). Right now, let's look at Nehemiah.

PASSION

When Nehemiah heard some visitors' answers to his questions about the conditions in Jerusalem, he was deeply moved: "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven" (Nehemiah 1:4-5). 

When I speak or write, I sometimes substitute the word passion for purpose. Passion is a driving force that activates your creativity and will to do something. Tears of joy and sorrow often accompany that passion as you respond and make yourself vulnerable and available to a need that exists in the world. The first time I spoke about purpose, people in the room wept. I have seen thousands more cry over the years. Tears and purpose seem to go hand in hand.

In 1998, I was watching a television documentary about the suffering of women in Afghanistan and began to cry. I remember praying, “Lord, why am I crying? I don't know anyone there, but if you need someone to go to Afghanistan, I’m willing.” Out of the blue in 2003, I received an invitation to go to Afghanistan from people I didn’t even know. I went and it changed my life and the course of my ministry.

CLARITY

Nehemiah prayed and fasted to clarify his passion and way forward. Then his big break came. One day he was serving the king and the king noticed that Nehemiah was sad. Let’s read the rest in Nehemiah’s own words. 

The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me (Nehemiah 2:4-9).  

When the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted, Nehemiah had a ready answer. The king understood what he wanted and could then either say yes or no. There seemed to be no hesitancy or ambivalence on Nehemiah's part. He had prayed and thought out what he wanted to do. Also, notice how little religious jargon there was in his dialogue with the king. Yes, Nehemiah did admit he prayed and that God's gracious hand was upon him, but besides that, he was remarkably natural: "Send me . . . so I can rebuild." "I set a time." "May I have letters?" God was not offended or put off by Nehemiah's desire to help the city of his fathers. At no time do we see that God told Nehemiah to go. He made himself available to go, and asked God's and the king's help.

What do you have a passion to do? What problem do you have a passion to address? Are you clear about what you want to do to engage that passion? I urge you to get the kind of clarity Nehemiah had, and then pray, "put me in, Coach." After that, watch for the door to open and see it as God's help so you can participate in the matter that is close to your heart. Nehemiah had nothing but success when he went home, and you can expect that can kind of success as well, but only if you follow your heart to put yourself in the game where it is most meaningful for you. Have a blessed week!

757 - Bible Insights to Share

I provided some personal updates in last week's Memo, and thought I would continue with that strategy again this week. This time, I will include a few biblical insights I have had recently. As I entered the number for this week's Memo (757), I am amazed that I have been writing the Memo almost every week without interruption since 2001. I thank God that He has empowered me to take something this simple and make it into the tool for encouragement and teaching that it has become. Thank you for reading, and if you will keep on reading, I will keep on writing!

1. I came across Romans 15:1, which states: "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." I thought it interesting that Paul considered himself and others strong in faith, and placed others in the weak category. This indicates that there are both strong and weak in God's kingdom where matters of faith are concerned, and it is permissible to categorize yourself as "strong." Where purpose is concerned, I am strong!
2. John 9 contains one of my favorite Bible stories of the man born blind whom Jesus healed. At the end of the chapter, Jesus had this exchange with the Pharisees: "Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.' Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “'What? Are we blind too?' Jesus said, 'If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains'" (John 9-39-41). When I say I am a mess, Jesus is with me. When I am blind to my mess and focus on the mess of others, I am still in my blindness and Jesus cannot help me. Let me say without hesitation and with no explanation - I am a mess!
3. It seems to me that we have not spent enough time emphasizing the importance of Genesis 1 and 2, and Revelation 21 and 22, the bookends of the entire Bible. Colossians 1:19-20 states, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Jesus came to restore all things, including the conditions in the Garden before the Fall. The concepts in Genesis 1 and 2 include purpose, creativity, goal-setting, time management, teamwork, and rest. We have trivialized Revelation by focusing on the work of the antichrist instead of the Christ, and we have made the forgiveness of sins, as necessary as that is, as the only work of the cross. Jesus came to do more than just forgive sins; He came to restore God's kingdom!
4. I was talking with someone the other day who said, "Gosh, Jesus is a writer because Hebrews 12:2 says He is the author of faith!" I stopped for a minute and had to smile that I had never considered the word "author" in that verse. In light of my publishing company and my own books, I am now praying to Jesus as one author to another!

That's it for now. I am not sure where we will head next week, but I am sure the same God who directed me through 757 Memos has a few more for me to write. Have a blessed week!

756 - Stanko Update 1

It's been a while since I wrote about the latest things going on in my life and how they relate to purpose, so let's do that this week. Here goes.

• The publishing company I started in early 2015 is going quite well. We have published about 12 books for other authors under the label Urban Press. My son and I are in business together, and it has proved to be a great experience.

• I am working on eight more publishing projects for other authors. It's interesting that I am serving in essence as a creativity coach so often. It seems that creativity is right behind purpose as people deal with their fears to become all that God wants them to be.

• I have already published three of my own books this year under the label PurposeQuest Ink, and I am working on two more for 2016. One of those two is the 20th anniversary edition of my first book, Life is a Gold Mine: Can You Dig It?, and it will be titled Life is Still a Gold Mine: And I'm Still Digging It! The other is my autobiography. The second one may not see the press until early 2017.

• I just recorded my 11th online TV show, Your PurposeQuest, with one of our Urban Press authors, Emmanuel Ike. You can view the first ten shows, and eventually number 11, on my Vimeo channel. Emmanuel recently wrote Rescued: My Stories of Divine Intervention, which you can purchase on Amazon in Kindle or paper format.

• I stopped doing radio at the start of this year, but have found that my interviewing skills, honed on hundreds of shows since 2009, have helped me in publishing. I am sitting with many authors, interviewing them, transcribing the interviews, and after about eight hours of interviews, we have the raw material for a manuscript! Nothing is wasted in God's work He does in anyone's life.

• It is a biblical concept that I am sitting with people and helping them speak their books into existence. Where is that in the Bible, you may ask? It is in Psalm 45:1: "My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer."

• This year's trip to Kenya with a team of people was one of my best ever, for many reasons. I had actually considered discontinuing the trips, but I am not thinking about that any longer. The dates for the 2017 trip are March 2-17. Let me know if you are interested in going. I have been posting short videos of my past visits on my YouTube channel. Take a look and see if you can picture yourself in those videos. If you can, then you are supposed to go, and God will provide the resources, as He always does.

• You can subscribe to receive notices of when I post new videos on YouTube. Just go to my channel and click on the red subscribe button.

• One of my Kenya partners is almost finished with a new building to house our library there in the town of Banana. You can read about it, see some pictures, and then contribute toward its completion using PayPal through my website. I am quite excited about this development, for it will provide a model for others to see and emulate throughout Kenya, and then in other parts of Africa!

• My latest book, Unlocking the Power of You, has generated a lot of interest. I never know how people will receive what I write; that's why I write in faith. I don't look to the market; I look to my heart and write about what's there.

• This summer, I am teaching three college courses: African American Literature and Intertestamental History (both undergraduate) and Leadership and Organizational Change (graduate). This week, I begin teaching my third ever online graduate course, Leadership and Decision Making. I am enjoying teaching more and more.

• Last week, I turned 66 years of age. My father retired at 62; there is no thought further from my mind than retiring at this point in time. Purpose is exhilarating and energizing, and I intend to function in purpose until God directs otherwise or until I am physically unable to perform.

• Today, I officiate at the funeral for a 65-year-old relative by marriage. That will serve as a reminder that I am not guaranteed tomorrow; I must make the most of today, for it may be my last day.

I had more to report than I realized when I started, so we will continue with my update next week. In the meantime, I am speaking at a purpose seminar here in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon, May 14. If you are interested in attending, please send me an email at [email protected]. I hope to see you then, and I will be back next week, Lord willing, with more updates from my world. Have a blessed week!

751 - Relevant Easter

Easter Sunday is next week, so I thought I would represent my Memo I have written in the past concerning the Resurrection. I hope you spend some time meditating this week on the significance and implications of Easter for your PurposeQuest.

A PACKED HOUSE

My church has six weekend services every week, and we are getting ready for overflow crowds next weekend.  People who don't darken the door of a church throughout the year will come to church on Easter Sunday along with some who have returned to the area to visit family, which will make for a packed house. They all sit with the regular attenders, family and friends, and pay homage to the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. It is probably the same in your church.

We will assemble next week and say by our presence, "Yes, we believe Jesus was dead. Furthermore, we believe that He was in the tomb for three days.  Yes, we believe that God raised Jesus, who was both fully God and fully man, back to life. And yes, we further attest to the fact that Jesus ascended into heaven, and that our flesh, Mary's boy, intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father." I hope you agree that those affirmations summarize the truths of Easter. But is that all the relevant truth where Easter is concerned?

It always intrigues me that many will come and attest to these truths yet all too often those truths have no meaning in or implication for their daily lives.  Stop for a minute and ask, "So what if Jesus was raised from the dead?  What difference does that make in my life?" Those are good questions; let's try to come up with some answers so you can enjoy Easter every day of your life.

MAKING EASTER PERSONAL

If you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, then you can believe God for anything! If God raises the dead, which He does, then He can cure cancer. He can provide for your business or ministry. He can transform you into the person He intended you to be, that person you want to be. If God can take a dead body and give it life, then nothing is beyond His miracle-working power. What's more, you have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living in you!  It is not a replica or a portion of that Spirit.  You have the Spirit that raises the dead living in you. Here is what Paul had to say about the implications of this Spirit-resident:

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you (Romans 8:9-11).

I trust you plan on being at your local church fellowship next weekend. Don't go as someone merely giving mental assent to the historical fact of the resurrection, go celebrating the truth that God is alive in You  Then find how to release that resurrection power into your life, relationships, work and purpose. If you can believe that God raises the dead - and you should - then you can believe God for anything. Have a great resurrection-power-filled week filled with a daily Easter!  Happy Resurrection Day!

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KENYA CHRISTMAS UPDATE AT EASTER: I posted a wonderful thank you with touching pictures from the Each One Touch One Orphanage in Kenya. Please read the update and then remember the children in your giving.

690: New Year's Ramblings

Happy New Year! I trust you had a good holiday season. My family and I sure did. Now it's time, however, to turn our attention to a new year of purpose, and I am excited for what the new year holds. Next week I will start a new series on faith and purpose by the title, What You See Is What You Get. For now, let's start the year off as we have the last few - with some new year musings.

1. It has been almost one year since I resigned my position at my church. As I reflected on the past year, it was one of new beginnings. I have enjoyed the freedom to schedule and pursue what is in my heart to do, but I have definitely missed the staff interaction
2. I started Urban Press last year and we published our first book in November. I am working on five book projects with authors right now, with many more in the wings. Some people have had ideas to write manuscripts for many years. My goal is to help them make their dream a reality. So far, so good.
3. In November, I had a great awakening that I needed to do more fundraising, making people aware of my needs. I realized I cannot try to work for money and then come home to pursue writing, publishing and orphan work as a full-time job. When I made my needs known, people contributed and wrote, "We have been wanting to give for a while. Thanks for the opportunity." It reminded me of what my fundraising mentor told me once: "People need to give more than you need to receive."
4. If everyone who reads and benefits from these Monday Memos would give at least $5 annually (and some can give more), I would be free to do the work God has called me to do with no financial lack.
5. I am excited about my new daily devotional for 2015: Your LIfe Matters: Reflections from the Psalms. You can subscribe to receive it here or read more about its philosophy and content here. This will make the sixth year that I will write and publish a devotional every day.
6. I estimate it will require 150-200 hours to produce this year's devotional. If you multiply that by five, I have spent 750-1000 hours in the last five years producing my daily devotionals. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to do so. It is an offering of love.
7. Every publisher I have ever met has told me that devotionals don't sell well - and so far, they are correct. Mine don't sell that many copies. I write in faith and publish in faith, however, and I hope my books will outlive me. Therefore I continue to write to give people today and tomorrow an opportunity to have a daily encounter with God's word in what little time they have to do so.
8. I am teaching three classes this term - Practical Preaching, the Psalms, and Motivation and Leadership. Teaching continues to be a joy to do.
9. I am returning to Kenya in February, 2015 with 14 other people. I hope this year to return to England in the fall. If you or your church would like to sponsor a purpose session in the UK, please let me know.
10. I started a new radio show last Saturday and I have sponsors who are paying for this one! That makes five weekly shows I am doing. I will also have a regular television series that shows here locally in Pittsburgh as well as on my Internet tv channel. When I broadcast, I feel God's pleasure.
11. We are looking forward to our daughter's wedding on April 11!

That's about it. Remember, I produce these Memos and distribute them free of charge. They are free, but they aren't cheap, for I put a lot of man hours in preparing them. If these Memos have blessed you, I ask that you invest in their distribution. You can give through my website or by sending a tax-deductible contribution to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you and may 2015 be all that you want and need it to be - and more!